The Salvation Army Responds to Tragic Explosion in Tennessee
In the early morning on Friday, October 10, a powerful explosion ripped through Accurate Energetic Systems (AES), an explosives manufacturer in Bucksnort, Tennessee. One building was obliterated in an instant, and sixteen people lost their lives. The small community of Bucksnort awoke to sirens, smoke, and heartbreak.
When news of the disaster reached The Salvation Army, officers and disaster teams immediately began coordinating with state and local emergency officials to determine how best to serve. Within hours, plans were underway to mobilize support for both first responders and families impacted by the tragedy.
On Saturday morning, Scott Tibbetts, director of The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services for the Kentucky–Tennessee Division, arrived on site to assess the situation and meet with emergency management officials. “When something like this happens, it shakes the entire community,” he says. “The Salvation Army’s role is to bring calm in the chaos — to show up, listen, and serve in Jesus’ name.”
The immediate need was clear: hydration and support for the hundreds of first responders conducting search, rescue, and recovery operations amid the devastation. The Salvation Army delivered a pallet of Gatorade to cover the immediate physical need for those tirelessly serving at the scene.
For The Salvation Army, disaster relief always extends beyond physical support. Emotional and spiritual care is a vital part of the response, offering prayer, presence, and compassion to people in crisis. Among those providing that care at the AES site was Major N.J. Pope, a retired Salvation Army officer who lives about an hour from Bucksnort. As he met with workers, Major Pope says he could sense both the heaviness of loss and the quiet resilience of those still standing. “It was my privilege to pray with almost everyone I spoke to. They gladly shared in that prayer, and tears flowed from some of them as we did.”
One man told Major Pope he had eaten breakfast with two coworkers who died in the explosion. “He said only moments after they left the cafeteria, he heard the blast,” Major Pope says softly. “He pointed out how important it is that everyone be ready to meet Christ at all times, for they had no idea five minutes before that they would be gone so soon.”
For Major Pope, that encounter brought the true purpose of the ministry into focus. “It was a blessing to share gift cards with them,” he says, “but those only gave us a way to offer something far more important. We shared Jesus together.”
As the community began processing its grief, the people of Waverly and Humphreys County gathered for a candlelight vigil on the evening of Sunday, October 12, at the county courthouse. Hundreds attended – family members, coworkers, first responders, and neighbors – united in mourning and remembrance.
Salvation Army officers were also present, providing emotional and spiritual care and offering bottled water and snacks to attendees. They moved quietly among the crowd, listening, praying, and offering comfort wherever it was needed.
“That night showed just how deeply this community cares for one another,” Tibbetts says. “It wasn’t about an organization or an event — it was about people standing together in faith and sorrow. The Salvation Army was honored to be there, reminding everyone that even in darkness, God’s light still shines.”
By Monday, additional Salvation Army officers had joined the response, including Lt. Patrick Lewandowski, corps officer for Clarksville, Tennessee. He and two fellow officers were assigned to the Family Assistance Center in nearby Waverly, where family members gathered to seek information, support, and comfort.
“It’s in places like that, quiet rooms filled with sorrow, that The Salvation Army’s mission really comes alive,” Lt. Lewandowski says. “Our calling is to be a presence of peace, to remind people that even in unimaginable pain, God is still near.”
Lt. Lewandowski and his team spent time with grieving families, praying with those who wanted it and simply listening to others who needed to talk. “Sometimes people just need to know someone sees them and cares,” he says. “That’s where God’s healing begins.”
Services soon expanded beyond the disaster site and the Family Assistance Center. The team began distributing food boxes, cleaning supplies, hygiene kits, baby items, and financial assistance to affected families — many of whom lost both loved ones and income due to the plant’s closure.
As of October 22, The Salvation Army provided:
- 968 drinks
- 419 snacks
- 166 emotional and spiritual care contacts
- 336 cases of financial assistance
- 344 cleaning supply kits
- 1,416 food boxes
- 278 infant supply packages
These efforts reflect the organization’s long-standing strength in disaster response, serving in communities large and small across the country.
“The Salvation Army is uniquely positioned to respond in moments like this,” Tibbetts says. “Because we already serve in nearly every zip code in America, we can mobilize quickly when tragedy strikes. We don’t have to come in from the outside — we’re already here.”